Ditching four strings altogether.......

[TRBboy]

Thanks for all the great replies peeps, it's turned into a far more interesting thread than I expected! Unfortunately I'm still confused........ But I think I do possibly find myself leaning more toward just playing 5s. As some have said, I guess there's nothing you can do on a 4 that you can't do on a 5, and if that's all you play then you'll soon get used to it. I think I need to do a lot of playing with both and see what I think. Maybe I should try only playing my current 5 for a few weeks and see how I get on before making any rash decisions.

In the meantime, I have been pricing up the bass I want.......

[shizznit]

I have had 4, 5 and 6 string basses and I feel more settled with 5's. I have considered just sticking to a 5, but I do often switch over to a 4. My Warwick Thumb is one of the best 4 string bass I have ever had and I still really enjoy playing it. I sometimes get pain in the back of my fretting hand if I play a lot of consecutive hours on a 5, so I will switch over to 4 just to give my hand a rest.

[SimBass]

Started on 4 string, then did a straight swap from 4 to 5 a decade ago (never owned a 4 string since), then added a 6 string fret-less. with a brief spell of only owning 6 strings (one fretted/one fret-less). I'm now firmly settled on a 5 string fretted for 90% of the time and then the 6 string fret-less for all Jazz gigs, for a lush woody fretless sound on the warwick ebony finger board.
I feel a 6 string fret-less is just too out of place in all over situations, but 5 strings fit in comfortable everywhere these days, can't afford a decent 4 string as well so I don't even bother thinking about it.
(certainly wouldn't have a problem dropping my 6 string if I found a nice 5 string fret-less equivalent but I love my Warwick too much...because of the bass not because of the 6th string)

Edited April 17, 2012 by SimBass

[MrTaff]

[quote name='TRBboy' timestamp='1334663636' post='1619280']
As some have said, I guess there's nothing you can do on a 4 that you can't do on a 5, and if that's all you play then you'll soon get used to it.
[/quote]

Depends on what you play & how the 4 is tuned, a lot of metal written in Drop C/C# isn't going to be playable on a 5 without detuning it to something like BCGCF and screwing up the tension, my life would be much easier if a 5 covered everything but unfortuantly it doesn't.

[chrismuzz]

I totally agree with everything you said there, but it would confuse the hell out of me

A lot of the songs I cover are supposed to be tuned to drop B, but I use a 5 string in standard tuning for those!

[quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1334662938' post='1619258']


What about a capo on the 2nd fret so you'll get Db/Gb/B/E/A? It gives a more natural and instinctive playing than to have to compensate for the detuning on the E string when moving on to the A sting. Using the capo you'll also end up with better string tension and that will reflect on the quality of your sound!
You can always ditch the capo and tune a 5er a hole step up!

Yes, it's true, i don't get along with drop tunnings...

Cheers
[/quote]

[chrismuzz]

This just reminded me of when I learned a bunch of Dream Theater's Train Of Thought album. John Myung actually tuned his bass BEADGC, CEADGC, and DEADGC!

[quote name='MrTaff' timestamp='1334669438' post='1619416']


Depends on what you play & how the 4 is tuned, a lot of metal written in Drop C/C# isn't going to be playable on a 5 without detuning it to something like BCGCF and screwing up the tension, my life would be much easier if a 5 covered everything but unfortuantly it doesn't.
[/quote]

[Prime_BASS]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1334618917' post='1618831']
there's nothing you can play on a 4 that can't be played on a 5, and it doesn’t work the other way around
[/quote]

That depends on the player more I guess.

[chris_b]

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1334672780' post='1619485']
....learned a bunch of Dream Theater's Train Of Thought album. John Myung actually tuned his bass BEADGC, CEADGC, and DEADGC!....
[/quote]

He's just showing off!

[Gust0o]

I quite fancy picking up another five. The only thing stopping me in the tunning, when we went from D to drop-D - I've acclimatised to the change, and am quite possibly too lazy to rework my fingering.

I suppose I could simply drop the E - but then what for the B?

This is how my mind works. A dangerous place.

[chrismuzz]

If I HAD to play in drop D on a 5, I would tune it ADADG. Actually thinking about it, you could make some massive chords!

[quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1334675196' post='1619537']
I quite fancy picking up another five. The only thing stopping me in the tunning, when we went from D to drop-D - I've acclimatised to the change, and am quite possibly too lazy to rework my fingering.

I suppose I could simply drop the E - but then what for the B?

This is how my mind works. A dangerous place.
[/quote]

[lettsguitars]

Ditch 4 strings? But then that would leave you with only 1 string. What's the use of that?

[BigRedX]

[quote name='lettsguitars' timestamp='1334675347' post='1619543']
Ditch 4 strings? But then that would leave you with only 1 string. What's the use of that?
[/quote]

[IMG]http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n249/BigRedX/DSC02853.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n249/BigRedX/DSC02870.jpg[/IMG]

[chrismuzz]

[quote name='lettsguitars' timestamp='1334675347' post='1619543']
Ditch 4 strings? But then that would leave you with only 1 string. What's the use of that?
[/quote]

Dood could probably manage

[Gust0o]

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1334675315' post='1619542']
If I HAD to play in drop D on a 5, I would tune it ADADG. Actually thinking about it, you could make some massive chords!
[/quote]

That would be some powerful hoodoo

[janmaat]

Played a gig recently, first time with the 5er, - was surprised how many people

- had never seen a 5er before

- thought "he must be awesome" though I'm not, I have 5 strings because I am really too lazy to move my hand much - they should have thought "man, he's got a strong back"

[chrismuzz]

I get a similar reaction whenever I gig the 6 string I always feel guilty and have to explain to people that it actually makes playing easier!

[quote name='janmaat' timestamp='1334675932' post='1619556']
Played a gig recently, first time with the 5er, - was surprised how many people

- had never seen a 5er before

- thought "he must be awesome" though I'm not, I have 5 strings because I am really too lazy to move my hand much - they should have thought "man, he's got a strong back"
[/quote]

[lettsguitars]

Man that is '1' cool bass.

[icastle]

[quote name='lettsguitars' timestamp='1334675347' post='1619543']
Ditch 4 strings? But then that would leave you with only 1 string. What's the use of that?
[/quote]

You could run around the woods wearing tights and rob from the rich to give to the poor...

[TommyK]

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' timestamp='1334645576' post='1618918']
oh... does that mean you're about to join the "dark side"?


[/quote]

Yep....I am coming on over to join ya....You crazy peeps with yer slanty frets and wonky pickups!!

[icastle]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1334663402' post='1619272']
1. The various fives I bought were never as good, quality wise, as my fours. As a result I would always keep reverting to the fours.
[/quote]

That's something I've noticed over the years.

It's not quite as bad now as it used to be, but I always felt that the 5 versions of many of the existing 4's were a bit makeshift and had a bit of a 'make the neck a bit wider and slap an extra machine head on it' sort of ethos...

[gilmour]

I don't own a four string at the moment, it's probably fifteen years since I gigged one.

But I am on the look out for one as it makes teaching easier. ALso there are a handful of gigs where people expect a four string Fender type bass.

Edited April 17, 2012 by gilmour

[icastle]

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1334675525' post='1619550']
Dood could probably manage
[/quote]

Dood could ditch 4 strings and still end up with more than the rest of us with those monsters he plays...

[Prime_BASS]

[quote name='janmaat' timestamp='1334675932' post='1619556']
Played a gig recently, first time with the 5er, - was surprised how many people

- had never seen a 5er before

- thought "he must be awesome" though I'm not, I have 5 strings because I am really too lazy to move my hand much - they should have thought "man, he's got a strong back"
[/quote]

In that case, put me down for a 10 strings.

[ThomBassmonkey]

I don't feel the need for a 4 string. A 5 string does everything a 4 string does and more. If I found a 5 string uncomfortable, it'd make sense but my 5 strings fit me so I'm happy always using them.

[thodrik]

I've found a five string to be a bit problematic when working with guitar tunings around C, C# and D standard unless I dedicate the bass to that tuning. For those kind of tunings I generally use my old P bass. I know that with the correct fingering I could play the 'correct' notes with a five string, but usually I've found that the music I play in these tunings tends to rely on a lot of open notes. Playing on a five string just doesn't really feel right, or even sound right to my ears. Also sometimes I just like playing a passive Fender without the extra bells and whistles of an active five string.

Anything around standard tuning or needing low B or lower tends to be done on the five string, hence the reason I don't want to permanently have the 5 tuned to C etc.